To be clear, nobody is expecting a player to come into the Illinois basketball program and own the campus as Keaton Wagler did. Nobody is actually “replacing” Keaton Wagler.

His one-and-only season for the Illini is the stuff of legend. Hopefully, you appreciated him thoroughly while he wore the Orange and Blue.

Wagler’s number will be in the rafters, and his name will be on the lips of Illinois fans for generations.

His name will also be uttered frequently on the recruiting trail. Both prep and transfer portal prospects can see the benefits of following in Wagler’s Nike sneakers in Champaign.

While John Blackwell is the most well-known pursuit for an Illini program casting a narrow net in the transfer portal, Providence guard Stefan Vaaks is a name that keeps surfacing.

Vaaks is a name that immediately made sense to Illini observers. The 6-foot-7 Baltic guard averaged 15.8 points per game for Providence as a true freshman. With three years of eligibility remaining, he has a high ceiling as both a sniper and a facilitator.

His positional size and skill set make him a natural fit to fill the Wagler-sized hole in the Illini backcourt. 

Vaaks shot 35% from behind the three-point arc in his lone season with the Friars. While that number doesn’t “wow” like Paul McNeil Jr., it does show his ability to score from deep. 

Vaaks was the focal point of the Friars’ offense. He had a 31% usage rate last season. For context, Wagler had a 28.5% usage rate. He showed an ability to dominate the ball and fill it up.

I encourage you to take three-and-a-half minutes of your day to watch this video. You will see many Brad Underwood-friendly, useful traits.

• He has a lightning-quick release
• He can make the shots Underwood calls “gold medal” shots. As evidence, he shot 40% on catch-and-shoot opportunities.
• He has excellent positional size
• He excels in opportunities to space the floor

If Illinois lands both Vaaks and John Blackwell, that would give Illinois two guards who can score, space the floor, and create opportunities for teammates.

Even traditional Illinois rage baiters see the fit.

Illinois basketball will provide Stefan Vaaks the support he was missing at his last stop

Vaaks didn’t have the best shot selection last season. But in fairness, he often was going one-on-three on drives to the basket due to the lack of quality teammates.

If the Balkan retention follows the optimistic vibes of recent days, Vaaks won’t have that problem. He will have other floor-spacers and playmakers to share the court with.

It’s a rational refrain when thinking about Illinois transfer portal targets. “Put that guy on a talented, loaded Illinois team, and he will be more efficient.”

The heat has been turned up on this recruitment. Vaaks is the kind of player blue bloods close on early in transfer portal season. If you close your eyes, you can likely picture him in a UConn jersey.

Illinois is recruiting like a team that belongs on the same stage as the nation’s elite programs. If Underwood and his staff of closers can get Blackwell and Vaaks to sign on the line that is dotted, they can have all the coffee they want. 

And perhaps they’ll be enjoying that coffee in Detroit.